Tobacco hogshead



July 26, 1960 K. N. MOSLEY TOBACCO HOGSHEAD Filed Jan. 14, 1957 INVENTOR KEMPER N.MOSELEY ATTORNEY United States Patent TOBACCO HOGSHEAD Kemper N. Moseley, 1014 Gloria Ave., Durham, NC.

Filed Jan. 14, 1957, Ser. No. 633,875,

'3 Claims. (Cl. 217-44) The present invention relates to binding structure and more particularly to a means and method of applying metal straps to hogsheads, bales, or the like, while providing for removal thereof, the present application being a continuation, in part, of applicants prior application for patent on a tobacco hogshead, filed December 7, 1956, Serial No. 627,040.

Heretofore, it has been desirable to provide a disconnec'tible fastening for binding straps of metal or other suitable material and various means have been used, including U-shaped connectors adapted to have their legs extending into loops provided on the ends of the straps. Although prior devices of this nature have been used, it has been difiicult to apply and remove the U-shaped connectors because there has been no satisfactory provision for tangential relieving the tension on the strap so that the U-shaped connector could be easily removed.

Although one solution is disclosed in applicants prior application, it has been difficult to remove the U-shaped connector from the loops a suificient amount to permit insertion of the pins of the tension applying tongs because the pins of the tongs could not be inserted into the loops of the straps until the connector had been partially removed. Similarly, in applying the connector the pins of the tongs had to be forced out before the U-shaped connector could be driven to its final position requiring additional manipulation preventing the maximum efficiency of labor.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the difl'iculties encountered in the prior art devices and to provide means to relieve the strain on straps so that the connector can be removed with a minimum of effort and without strain on the connector.

Another object of the invention is to provide straps with a connector in which-the tension can be released from the connector so the strap may be removed and the bound article inspected without damage to the strap or the article while permitting reuse of the straps on the same or different article.

A further object is to provide a method of binding and removing a binding from articles to provide for inspection thereof.

Another object is to provide a band in which the length of the band can be initially adjusted.

Other and further objects will be apparent as the description proceeds and upon reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is an isometric view of a tobacco hogshead having binding straps of the present invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2, an isometric view of a cotton bale with releasable binding straps thereon;

Fig. 3, a fragmentary isometric View of a binding strap showing the sleeves for maintaining the sections of the strap together and showing the U-shaped connector removed and the tongs for relieving the tension from the connector; and

Fig. 4, a fragmentary section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Patented July 26, 1960 Briefly, the present invention comprises a hogshead having a plurality of staves with reinforcing cleats on the ends thereof, end walls abutting the reinforcing cleats, the staves being arranged in groups, each group extending approximately half the circumference of the hogshead. The staves in each group are connected together by a series of binding straps nailed to the staves, each binding strap having a loop at one end. The hogshead is assembled by wrapping the groups of staves around the end walls so the loop ends of the straps are together and securing the looped ends of cooperating straps and the staves in position by a U-shaped connector passing through the adjacent loops. Thereafter a permanent fastening clip sleeve receives the other ends of the straps together completing the hogshead. In addition .to integral loops on the ends of the straps, auxiliary loops are provided within the integral loops with the bight portions spaced whereby fingers of a force applying means, can be inserted in the concave bight portions of the additional loops to apply tension to the straps whereby the U-shaped connector element may be applied or removed so that a hogshead can be closed to cover the contents or opened for inspection of the contents. Straps of a similar nature may be used for cotton bales or the like.

Upon more detailed reference to the drawing, a hogshead according to the present invention includes a circular top end wall 11 and a circular bottom end wall (not shown) a plurality of staves 12 in one group, extending halfway around the end wall 10, and a plurality of staves 12 extending around the remaining circumference of the end wall 10. The staves are provided with cleats 13 on each end, the cleats 13 being secured to the inner surface of the staves by any suitable means and serving as abutments for the end walls to maintain such end walls in operative position. To secure the staves in position, a plurality of bands are provided, each band includes a first strap 14 having a portion 15 bent back to provide a first loop having a bight portion 16. Lying within the sides of the first loop is a second loop formed of a strap section having a bight portion 17 and leg portions 18 and 19 which extend to the end of the bent back portion 15 of the strap 14. The strap portions 15, 18, 19 and the adacent portion of strap 14 are secured together by a conventional clip manufactured by the Gerrard Division of the Steel Co. which forms a sleeve around the strap'portions. The clip sleeve has a body portion 20 and bentover edge portions 21, 21, which tightly hold the strap portions in fixed abutting relation. Tab portions 22, 22 are formed in the bend portions 23, 23 of the clip sleeve with sufiicient force to positively displace the edge portions and the strap portions for positively retaining the loops in fixed relation.

The band is completed by a second strap 14 having a portion 15 bent back to provide a third loop having a bight portion 16. Lying within the sides of the third loop is a fourth loop formed of a strap section having a bight portion 17' and leg tend to the end of the bent back portion 15' of the strap 14'. The strap portions 15', 18', 19 and the adjacent portion of strap 14' are secured together by a second conventional clip of the type described above.

The ends of the straps 1'4, 14 opposite the loops are arranged in overlapping relation so that the length of the resulting band is substantially the same as the external circumference of the hogshead or other article being bound and such overlapping ends of the straps are secured together by a clip sleeve which is substantially identical with that previously described, the same reference numerals being applied to the corresponding parts.

The straps are provided with a plurality of apertures 24 which receive nails 25 so that the strap 14 of any one portions 18 and 19' which ex-- band is secured by nails to the staves 12 forming onehalf of the curved surface of the hogshead while the other half of the staves 12' are secured by nails 25 to the staves 12. This provides for manufacture of the staves at one location attaching the straps and packaging the groups of staves 12 and 12 in fiat relation with the top end and the bottom end in a package which occupies small space and the hogshead can then be readily assembled at the tobacco warehouse or other location by merely placing the clip sleeve on the overlapping ends 14, 14' by conventional clip applying means so that the combined length of the band resulting from strap 14 and strap 14 is equal to the outer circumference of the hogs head.

However, in normal assembly and to provide the correct length of the resulting band, a U-shaped clip 26, made of heavy material, is inserted so that one leg 27 the groups of staves are wrapped around the contents and the force-applying tool placed in operative relation with the pins 33, 33' within the bight portions 17, 17' of the additional loops and force applied to the handles to draw the bight portions 16, 16 sufliciently close together permitting the insertion of the U-shaped connector 26, the process repeated for each of the bands until the v hogshead is completely reassembled.

may be received in the space between the bight 16 and bight 17 within the loop formed by strap 14 and bent over portion 15 while the leg 27' is received in the space between bight portion 16' and bight portion 17' and within the loop formed by strap 14 and the bent over portion 15' whereby the correct length is obtained when the clip sleeve 28 is applied to the overlapping ends of the straps 14 and 14'. Since the usual bale forming equipment and clip sleeve applying machines are provided with means to tension'the overlapping straps, there is no difficulty in the application of the groups of staves 1'2, 12' to the bottom end and top end 10 when the hogshead is originally assembled and filled with tobacco or other products.

in such filling of the hogshead the top band may be temporarily omitted and the top end 10 also omitted while the tobacco is placed in the hogshead and compressed by the plunger of a conventional press. After filling, the top end '10 is applied so that its margin extends under the clips 13, and this operation may be accomplished by a tool, like a tire iron used in the application of a tire to a rim, the individual staves being bent outwardly at the top from the band 29 located immediately below the final top band 30. After the top end '10 is applied in U-shaped connector 26 in position to maintain the loop ends of the straps 14, 14' of the top band 30 in assembled relation and thereafter the clip sleeve 28 is applied to the overlapping ends of the straps while the proper tension is applied on the straps to maintain the hogshead in assembled relation.

It will be noted that each strap 14, or 14 is connected by two nails 35 to each intermediate stave of each group and by one nail to the end staves of each group to maintain the staves in proper relation at all times.

When it is desired to disassemble the hogshead to provide inspection of the contents or to provide for emptying the contents, the U-shaped clip 26 in each of the bands is removed so that the staves 12, 12 may be unwrapped from the contents and from the bottom end and the top end 10 of the hogshead.

However, the U-shaped clip 26 can not be easily removed unless the stress on the straps 14, 14' can be relieved to avoid frictional contact between the bight portions of the loops of the straps. The stress is relieved by a suitable force-applying tool such as a tong having extremely long handles 31, 31' and relatively short jaws 32, 32, which jaws carry pins 33, 33 of a size to be received within the concave portions of the loops having bight portions 17 17 respectively so that when the handles are brought together and locked in position the pins 33, 33 will have moved the loop ends of the straps 14, 14' together, thereby relieving any stress on the U-shaped clip 26 so that the U-shaped clip may be removed without requiring excessive force.

After all of the U-shaped clips 26 are removed from the bands and the groups of staves 12, 12 unwrapped, the top end 10 may be removed and the contents inspected or removed. If it is desired to reclose the hogshead,

When the contents are removed from the hogshead the parts including the ends and the assembled staves may be reused as many times as desired thereby providing for savings to the users.

Upon reference to Fig. 2, a bale 34 of material, such as cotton, is maintained in compressed condition by means of a series of bands similar to those previously described. Each band includes two straps 114, 11-4 each strap having a loop at one end with an additional loop within said first mentioned loop, a connector element 26 maintains the looped ends in operative relation, while the other ends are arranged to overlap and are connected by a clip sleeve 28. The several bands are applied in the manner previously described, and a sufiicient number of bands are used to maintain the bale in compressed and easily handled condition. When it is desired to inspect the cotton, the bands may be removed by using the forceapplying tool in the additional loops and removing the U-shaped connector 26 in the manner previously described. It will be evident that the bands may be used a number of times, thereby reducing the cost.

The inner edges of the legs 27, 27 of the U-shaped' connector 26 may converge from the bight portion of the connector to the free ends of the legs whereby a camming action is obtained so that the tensile force on the straps 14, 1'4 additionally maintain the connector in operative position, the friction between the bight portions 16, 16 and the legs 27, 27' also serving to maintain the connector in operative relation.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A hogshead comprising staves, band structure uniting said staves and comprising a first and second strap, each having one end-folded back on itself to provide a loop, first and second strap sections each folded back on itself to form. loops, the loops of said first and second strap sections lying within the loops of the first and second straps respectively, with the bight portion: of each strap section spaced from the bight portion of its associated strap, means to positively secure the loop of the strap section to the associated strap, a U-shaped connector having each leg of a size to be received in the loop of either strap in the space between the bight portion of the loop of the strap and the bight portion of the associated strap section, said U-shaped connector being sufiiciently strong to maintain the straps at maxi mum eificiency, said first and second straps having their other ends overlapping and positively connected together.

2. A releasable band structure comprising strap portions having loops of the width of the strap, strap sections forming loops located within the loops of the strap portions with the bight of the scrap sections spaced inwardly from the bight of the strap portions to provide for the insertion of a U-shaped connector in the bights of the strap portions while providing for tangential force in the bights of the strap sections, whereby the strap portions may be secured under high tension.

3. A knock down hogshead comprising a first and second group of staves, trapezoidal cleats at each end of each stave on one face thereof, a first strap fixed to one group of staves on the other face, said strap having a loop formed at one end thereof, a second loop formed of a strap section Within said one loop and having its bight portion spaced from the bight portion of said one loop, a second strap fixed to the other group of staves and having a first loop formed at one end thereof and a second loop formed of a strap section within said first 6 extending beyond the other edges of the groups of straps 10 whereby the other ends may be secured in fixed overlapping relation while the said one ends of said straps may be released to permit inspection of the contents.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Parish May 12, Miller Nov. 11, Knapp Feb. 17, Leslie Dec. 10, McConnell Apr. 21, Leslie Aug. 18, Bell May 17, Barkley July 11,

FOREIGN PATENTS Canada Jan. 22, 

